The Violet Line (23 page)

I shuddered as I glanced out the window. Dusk came pretty early this time of year and a vamp could come out in daylight, just not on really sunny days like today. I wasn’t willing to take any chances with Graham; after what I had done to him, I didn’t think he’d just simply let me off the hook for it. He was out for my life now and he probably would have something particularly painful planned.

I really hoped Lorcan would be interested in helping me. This morning’s near death experience had taught me I really couldn’t go it alone any longer and the more help I got the better. I hadn’t invited any vampires in besides Sam, but I still didn’t know all the rules when it came to the vampires. Sliding under the covers, I sleepily thought it was a crap Saturday. Closing my eyes against the thin line of sunlight creeping through my curtains, my last thought was of Sam just before I drifted off.

Chapter Twenty Three

Something in the black darkness felt very wrong. I couldn’t hear anything apart from someone’s very heavy and laboured breathing. I attempted to move forwards in the dark but my feet seemed to catch on the floor as though I was walking through thick honey. My feet made a loud sucking noise as I pulled them free one at a time. The breathing quieted and silence filled the air; thick and heavy, it flooded into my ears and filled them like thick cotton wool. I heard something clink and shift on the far side of the room and then Sam’s voice.

“
Who’s there?” His voice rasped and cracked, clearly laden with fear.

“
Sam!” I cried out, my voice breaking free of my lips before I had time to stop it. Something began to move beneath my feet in the thick gooey substance. I stumbled forwards in the direction of Sam’s voice.

“
Jade,” he asked, his voice incredulous. “You’re alive? You have to get out of here; you don’t know what you’re doing.” His voice begged and dropped to a whisper. “Get out while they’ll still let you!” His voice was strained and panicked.

“
I’m not leaving you. I’m going to get you out of here; we’ll be ok.” My hands groped into the darkness ahead of me, trying to feel Sam; he had to be here somewhere. My hand brushed something cold and sticky. I recoiled in horror; that definitely wasn’t Sam.

“
Sam.” My voice trembled with fear. “What’s in here with you?”

The things shifted the ink thick air very quickly around my body, making me feel disorientated. Something grabbed at my legs and waist, its claws digging into my flesh. It hissed, air rushing out between its fangs.

“
Fresssh meat,” it whispered, setting off a cacophony of whispers and hissing around the room. I screamed. There was a distinct tearing noise and Sam’s voice came out gurgling and wet, as though he were trying to talk under water. “Wake up Jade; please, just wake up!”

Sweat dribbled down my face as I woke up tangled in the sheet. The pillow felt wet beneath my face. It had been a nightmare. Lying there staring up the ceiling, I attempted to return my breathing to some semblance of normality. I’d had dreams of Sam before but not like this and his voice; he sounded so frightened. What was happening to Sam? Did those things really have him or was it just my imagination coming up with the worst possible scenario? After the day I’d had, I wasn’t sure if it was a vision or just a simple dream.

Sitting up in my bed, I attempted to fix the knotted sheet; it gave my hands something to do as I tried to stop them from shaking. A sharp tight pain shot up my side as I moved, making me cringe. I hadn’t felt any pain there before I got into bed and I had thoroughly examined myself after my run in with Graham. I gently pulled myself out of the bed and headed for my bedroom mirror. Lifting the grey t-shirt I noticed several little tear marks running down my side, each one was punctuated with a small puncture wound. One of them was still bleeding gently.

“
Shit!” I muttered. “I’m becoming a pin cushion for the monsters.”

My gift really was growing. It appeared the more emotion I experienced, the more things I could do with it. Projecting myself into the monsters’ lair for the second time even though I was exhausted from all that had come before; I had surprised even myself. Realisation dawned then, bright, dazzling and ugly; if that part of my dream was true and had happened, then that meant that Sam had been moved in with whatever had attacked me. I couldn’t understand this new development. Why would they have done that; what had Sam done? An insistent shrill alarm filled the air, knocking me out of my reverie and I jumped, it was only my alarm-clock. Four-thirty, time to get ready.

By the time five-thirty rolled around, I felt as ready as I was going to be. A small dagger was tucked into the belt of my blue jeans; well okay, it was a kitchen knife but I felt safer with it. My grey shirt was open over a white t-shirt, leaving the knife visible; it was more a threat than a real danger. I wasn’t very good with weapons; I tended to drop them. I hadn’t been very good at sports either; in secondary school, my aim had always been off. I almost always ended up alone on my backside in the muck during a football match or else I took people with me. My P.E. teacher had always despaired of me for my ineptitude and my mother hadn’t been any more forgiving with the way I brought my P.E. kit home. Irish drizzly rain never mixed well with a green football pitch.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I must be getting very vain, I thought. I seemed to be examining myself an awful lot in the mirror these days. I fingered the cross around my neck that I had dug out of my jewelry box; it didn’t really have any powers of protection against the bad guys, at least not against the old ones anyway. I wanted it with me regardless though; it gave me a sense of comfort. Holy water in little glass vials lined the top of my dresser like little brave soldiers kitted out for war. Holy water, on the other hand, did damage the vampires and this morning I had forgotten to bring some of the vials with me. It could kill them if applied in enough quantities, but I’m pretty sure it would have to be ingested for that to happen. I didn’t think I was going to be able to get a vamp to willingly drink it. Anyway, where I was heading to, I was hoping I wouldn’t have much use for these items. Piling the holy water bottles into my shoulder bag, I pulled on my jacket and headed for the door.

Peering around the corner, I checked for anyone who might be lurking in the hall. All I could see moving was the exit sign blinking at me at the top of the stairs. I made the dash from my apartment to my car in the parking lot. The shadows were beginning to crowd in as the sun set and twilight approached. I slid in behind the wheel of my black Corsa; it was a comfortable car and fit me nicely. It had that lived in feeling that only an old car can achieve. I loved my car; it had become like an extension of me. Sam used to always tease me about the battered seats and broken door handles while I would defend my little car that could. Sitting in my car remembering how Sam would sit patiently beside me, waiting as I would try to start my car, sent a painful jolt through my heart.

Gripping the steering wheel with my left hand, I turned the key in the ignition. As the car flared to life, a bright white light exploded behind my eyes. The pain seared through my brain as I fell forwards onto the steering wheel. I gripped my head as images began to filter through my mind. It felt as though my whole head might explode with the pressure and the pain. The images flitted faster; people screaming, blood and death was everywhere, and then Sam. He was beautiful, just how I always knew him; my memory couldn’t have recreated him so perfectly. White glowed from the edges of him; he was bathed in this shimmering illumination. He reached his hand out towards me and called me by my name, “Jade.”

I stared at his image in my brain and tried to drink him in.

“
Jade,” he called again, more insistent this time.

“
Sam, is it really you? How’d you get here where are you; are you o.k.?” My questions came out jumbled and rushed.

“
I’m fine, Jade; it’s you I’m worried about. Why do you keep running from me? Why don’t you just come to me, Jade? I thought you wanted us to be together. I thought you loved me, Jade. Just come to me; you know how to find me.”

I stared at him. It looked like Sam and it spoke with his voice, but it wasn’t saying the things I knew Sam would say. Sam wouldn’t say this, not after everything we had been through together.

“
What have you done to my Sam?” Anger was plain in my voice. “Well, what have you done to him? Because this vision isn’t of my Sam!”

Sam smiled at me showing his fangs; it was a predator’s smile. Sam never smiled at me like that. “Clever girl; he said you wouldn’t fall for my… what did he call it again hmmn… ‘little parlour trick’ I believe was the term he used. I suppose he was right; you’re brighter than the average human your age.” His voice rambled on. It was still the voice I could spend hours listening to, but with this monster was using it. I felt myself becoming angry.

“
Use your own image you coward!” I snarled at him. “Show yourself for the monster you are.”

“
Tut, tut, tut; temper, temper, Jade.” His voice took on a scolding tone, like something that would be used on a disobedient child. “Why would I do that when I know it gives you such pain to see me abusing your lover’s body by possessing him? I’m no fool, child, and I quite enjoy your pain. However, enough chitchat; let’s get down to the business at hand. Give me your location.”

The bluntness of his question surprised me. “You mean you don’t know where I am?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.

“
No. Unfortunately, child, I don’t know where you are despite using some of our most persuasive methods on your friend, Sam. He refused to give up your location. Furthermore, it would appear that your gift protects you from our very best trackers.”

His revelation of defeat surprised me. “And so you just expect me to give myself up to you, even after Sam has fought so hard to protect me and you have failed to find me? No offence, but are you nuts?”

His laughter filled me with a cold empty dread. “My dear, there is a great chance that I am indeed, how did you so eloquently phrase it, ‘nuts.’ And yes, I came here to appeal to your better judgement; to ask you to save everyone more pain and heartache and to give yourself up. But alas, I can see from that stubborn set of your jaw that you’re not as smart as I had hoped. I suppose I shall just have to find something that will persuade you.” The white glow began to fade from my vision and I could once again feel the pressure of the steering wheel against my forehead.

I sat in my car like this for what felt like an eternity, staring at nothing. I had wanted to see Sam so badly, but not like that. Seeing him that way filled me with horror and hurt; but worse than that, I felt like I had just made a huge mistake as far as Sam was concerned. What did he mean by more persuasive means? A sudden tap at the window caused me to jump. A frightened yelp ripped from my mouth as I fumbled in my bag for some holy water.

“
Jesus, Jade, are you alright?” Lorcan’s concerned face and voice saved me from pulling my little kitchen knife on him.

I scowled back at him through the glass. “I’m fine.”

“
I rang a few times on your apartment but I got no answer; I thought I was collecting you from there. So I checked the car park and found you with your head down on the steering wheel. What the hell happened to your face? You look awful.”

I motioned for him to come around and get in; there was no point in talking through the window, after all. I unlocked the doors as he jogged around and slid in beside me. He pushed his seat all the way back and his knees still sat against the dashboard; it looked uncomfortable but I couldn’t do anything about it. Switching on the overhead car light, he tilted my head and examined my face. I knew the moment he spotted the two small puncture wounds because I watched his face darken.

“
What have you done, Jade? I leave you alone for five bloody minutes and all this happens. This wound looks fresh; when did you get it? Well answer me, because I’m the one that’s going to get all the blame when she sees you like this. Jesus, Jade, what do you be thinking? Seriously, what runs through that head of yours? Because honestly I’m starting to think it’s filled with nothing but air.”

His words ran together as he spoke, not allowing me to give him an answer. I pulled away from him and wrapped a scarf around my neck, covering the two little marks. Finally, I turned back to him.

“
It happened this morning. The vampire I was trying to get information on, his name is Graham; remember Aidan gave me the note from him? Well, I met him and this is what happened but I’m still here, so will you please stop the lecturing and tell me where we have to go?”

He sat open mouthed staring at me as though I had two heads. “You went to talk to him without asking for help? It really is filled with air, isn’t it? Well I hope it was worth it and that, at the very least, he’s dead.” He paused and watched my face carefully before speaking. “Jade, please tell me he is dead and not wandering around out there looking for you.”

I looked down at my lap as I answered sheepishly, “Well, I don’t know if he’s out there looking for me exactly…”

“
Oh for god’s sake, Jade, why didn’t you kill him? He bit you. Didn’t you want to kill him? I know I would have. Did you clean it? Because I knew this one fairy that got bitten; although he might have been bitten by a dog, I’m not too sure. Anyway it became infected and…”

I held up my hands. “Stop. Of course I cleaned it. And yes, I wanted to kill him and I used my gift to get away, but you know I’m not Buffy; I’m not exactly proficient in the art of killing vampires. I tend to shy away from it. I’m sorry if it seemed like a stupid move to you, Mr. Perfect At Everything He Does Who Knows An Anecdote To Go With Every Occasion, but I’m desperate. I’ll do anything, go anywhere, get bitten by multiple vampires and dogs and whatever else comes my way, if it means I can find Sam. Now, will you please tell me where exactly I’m driving to or I’ll find my own way there without your help.”